Method of making textile material permanently flexible, weatherproof, and fire resistant



Patented Mar. 14, 19 33 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY W. TURNER, OFSCHENECTADY, YORK, ASSIGN OR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPAINY, A.CORPORATION OF'NEW YORK METHOD or MAKING TExTILE MATERIAL PERMANEN'ILYFLEXIBLE, wEaTn'Enrnoor,

' AND FIRE RESISTANT No Drawing. Application filed March 25,

The present invention relates broadly to a method of treating textilematerials and is more specifically concerned with a simple methodwhereby textile material, for example, canvas, is treated so that it ispermanent- 1y flexible in character, dust proof and resistant to fireand weather.

In the construction of electrical apparatus the need often arises forflexible insulation embodying textile material. Textile material, suchas canvas, has heretofore been employed for the purpose, butditficulties have arisen in that the material was not fire-proof andespecially susceptible to fire from sparks generated in or near theelectrical apparatus. The material was therefore treated to render itless inflammable but usually such treatment was not only expensive butin addition did not give a permanently flexible product,

In accordance with my discovery I have efiected a simple process wherebyI can easily and economically treat textile fabrics in order to renderthem permanently flexible, dust proof, weather reslstant and fireresistant, especially from sparks, without impairing, and in fact,enhancing the insulation value of the material.

In order that my invention may be better understood and practiced bythose skilled in.

the art to which it pertains I shall describe the process I employ morein detail.

Suitable textile material, for example, 12- ounce duck is first singedon both surfaces. Powdered filling material, for example, talc orsoapstone is then incorporated therewith, for instance, by rubbing andkneading it into the pores of the material. This fills in the cellularair spaces in the material rendering it air tight and substantiallynon-inflammable and supplies in addition a dry lubricant to thematerial. The treated material is now immersed in and thoroughlyimpregnated with degelled oil which, as is known, is oil which has beencaused to reliquefy by "heat after having previously been gelled; for

example, the material is soaked in degelled linseed oil varnish forabout 10'minutes. The degelled oil binds all of the components toetherand renders the product permanently 1932. Serial No. 601,304.

drained and air dried for about hours,

after which more powdered talc or soapstone is rubbed and kneaded intothe pores of the material.

The product obtained by the above treatment'has been found to beexcellent in pro-- longed service tests as regards flexibility,

non-inflammability and weather resistant my hand.

HARRY W. TURNER.

exible in character. The material is then. I

